all the time in the world.'
by Ayrki
Summary: It's a post AJBAC fic, but then again what else have we left to write besides fluffy bunny fics? This one is hopefully different from all of the rest. Max wakes up in Manticore and has to deal loosing everything and she finds a friend and an ally. Specia


Title ~ ****

Title ~ 'all the time in the world.'

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Author ~ Ayrki and Tails

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E-mail ~ ayrki@yahoo.com

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Disclaimer ~ I own not any of Dark Angel, but a few articles. That and a few written fics., plus a few billion stories in my insane little head. You can't sue me cause you're not going to get any of those items. You may get a shard of a glacier, but I think that is the reason why my foots wet. So don't even bet on that.

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Timeline ~ After '…And Jesus Brought A Casserole' (season finale) maybe a day afterward

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Spoilers ~ There is probably references to all or most of the episodes, at least in minor detail. Definitely the finale and 'Meow.' (But not really in this part)

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Synopsis ~ Max + Manticore = worse P.M.S. then I get on a good day - That's what my sister wanted me to put as my summary. Me, I opted for this one: After everything changes Max is in Manticore and awake. She doesn't know what to do or how to live now that she has lost everything. Logan has pushed away from all and, like Max, he doesn't know how to deal with the sudden loss. Krit and Syl decided to stay with Logan in hopes to learn about their baby sister. Also the others don't know that Max is 'dead.' While Max is 'vacationing' in Manticore she finds a unique way to survive there.

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Distribution ~ Uh…Just let me know. I probably will let you any way, but id just be nice to know.

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Author's Notes ~ As of right now I haven't 'written' many fics. and posted even less. Please allow a small margin for errors. In sentences when you see ~(words)~ it is said in a muttered voice. Oh…and, uh…long live Max and Logan? : o ) Oh, by the way this was written in collaboration with Tails, my fuzzy gray kitty, so if you have any comments and can't get a hold of me try the cat at polar_knyght@yahoo.com

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Feedback ~ Always. Even if its hate mail I'll still read it 'cause even I, like any author, know that I can improve. And if it's not flame still please send criticism, weird isn't it someone asking for criticism.

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Rating ~ Probably PG for this part.

Thump.. Thump.. Thump..Thump.. Thump..Thump.. Thump..Thump.. Thump..

Max lay in the infirmary, awake and unthinking. She wore a blank expression mirroring blank thoughts. Signing, she turned her head to the heart monitor, she watched each jump on the screen as her…Zack's heart beat. "Why Zack? Why?" she whispered. "What, always have to be a hero, a stupid martyr? God Zack, why?" Remembering Renfro's words and looks, she growled that silly woman thought that a beating heart would break her. Stupid fool, she had no idea that as she tried to weaken Max's will, all she succeeded in doing was strengthen it.

At that moment, as she lay there listening to the sound of _her _heartbeat, she still felt dead inside. No feeling, just nothingness. She felt no tears for Zach or Ben, none for her lost sister Tinga. None for her lost friends, and none for her lost love, Logan. Empty and cold inside she lay there unthinking and unfeeling, in the horror of nothingness. She could not cry for those she lost, she felt only an empty anguish. For it is a fate worse than death to not mourn those lost.

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'They say that ''tis better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.' If this is then he who said this never lost a love such as mine. I only just got Max and now she is ripped away from me so violently. I will continue my 'crusade.' But how can I continue to right the wrongs, when I still have one left unrighted. Krit and Syl may choose to stay here. They'll want to know about their little sister. I just don't know if I can talk about her yet. It's weird I should feel this unbearable pain, but I don't. I don't feel anything. I suppose I'm still in shock, and the pain will come later. All I want is Max back.'

"Hey, Logan what's up," Bling walked up to where Logan sat, writing in his journal.

"Nothing," Logan closed his journal and set it down. He stood and ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey, did Max ever get a hold of you? I mean she called and I told her where you were," Bling asked.

"Yeah, she caught up with us," Logan looked down and a dark look passed a crossed his face.

Noticing it Bling asked, "She at work?"

"Nope," Logan's face took on a forlorn look.

"Where is she?" Bling asked gently.

Instead of answering harshly, he softly said, "She's gone."

"Huh?" Bling asked puzzled.

"She…left last night," now Logan had a dead look on his face.

"What do you mean, like for a few days? Why?"

"BECAUSE!!" Logan said, his anger finally flaring up. "She just did," he said quieter.

Bling backed off the subject, "Okay, so how's that exoskeleton working out for you anyway?"

"Fine."

"Well, I can take a hint. ~No matter how subtle~ I guess I'll leave you to growl at something else," Bling turned toward the door to leave.

"Ah-Bling, I'm sorry…Please don't-"

"Logan, I can tell you need some time to think or just time to be by yourself. So I'll leave you to it," Bling walked toward the door, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I know something happened yesterday. Something big. And I also know something happened with you and Max, maybe that's why you're not talking. Remember, I'm always here, regardless of what happened, or happens."

"I…thanks Bling. I really am sorry," he said ashamed of his reaction.

"Hey, I've done stuff like that before, no problem. Later." Bling opened the door and walked out, turning he said "Remember, if you need to talk to someone, I'm always here."

"Yeah thanks," Logan whispered as the door shut.

~~~

Krit looked out across the gray waters of the Pacific Ocean. Beside him sat his sister Syl, though she instead _glared_ at the ocean as if it had something to do with the cruel hand fate had dealt them. Krit looked to the left and saw the rock beach stretch until stopped by a wall of rocks. Turning to the right he viewed his sister. He watched as she sighed and laid her head on to her knees. "What are we going to do now Krit?" she finally asked, her voice muffled. "We've lost all three of them now, Zack, Tinga, _and_ Max. Where do we go from here? What do we tell the others?"

"I don't know," Krit said, his voice soft. "We could go back to our lives, though I don't think that I really could. Or…" Krit's voice trailed off.

"Or what?" Syl looked up at Krit.

"Or we could stay here. We could stay here and maybe help Max's friend, Logan," he lifted an arm to settle it around Syl's shoulders. "And maybe with time we can learn about our baby sister."

"I think that… it'll take time for Logan to talk about her," Syl said. "You could tell that they were close."

"Yeah," Krit smiled, "Our baby sister all grown up and in love."

"Mmm." Syl tiredly leaned in and rested her head on Krit's shoulder. "You know, it really sucks. I mean we just got her back and we already lost her."

"Yeah, but I guess that's how our lives go. We never fully get to taste victory."

"For every victory we gain, what we lose is so much more precious."

"Kinda like how 'no good deed goes unpunished'?"

"Yeah," Syl looked back out over the Pacific and sighed. "We're down to what now? 7?"

"One by one they're taking us down," Krit said darkly, then in a determined voice he said, "But they've 'bagged' their last X5."

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"Now understandably you will be given time to re-adjust to Manticore life, we aren't _completely_ heartless," Director Renfro smiled at Max, who sat with a blank look on her face her across from her, eyes unfocused. "You will also be permitted a small margin for error, because of the understandable emotional trauma that you have experienced. But remember that it is a small margin."

Max still sat not saying a word. As Renfro droned on about how she would be reeducated and become a better 'citizen' of Manticore, Max felt a growing feeling of disgust for the _woman_ sitting across from her. She felt the growl begin deep in her throat growing, standing up she felt the first emotion she had in days. Anger. She had just lost all that was dear to her and all that she had known to this woman and now she sat sprouting nonsense about how she, 'a lost soul', would once again contribute positively to Manticore. In a dangerous, dark voice Max clearly and calmly said, "I will never, ever 'contribute positively' to Manticore. If you think that I will ever work with you _people_," Max said the last word with particular venom. "Then you are the one's who need the _reeducation_. You people took EVERYTHING from me, why would I ever help you?"

"Well, simply because we created you," Renfro stated.

"So what, you people were the ones who 'created' me. What do you think that it insures some kind of loyalty? If so, then you are fatally mistaken. Any type of loyalty to Manticore that there might have been died with Eva that night."

"Well, I must that I am pleased that your…spirit wasn't at all lost when you acquired your brother's heart." Any fear that the Director might have felt was kept under tight control. She would not let this X5, this _animal,_ gain any ground with her unless on her terms. Only Max's eyes showed any reaction or emotion to Renfro's comment. After a tension filled moment Renfro signaled for the guard to come take Max back to the infirmary, "Get your rest, you'll need it for when you retraining begins."

After the guard escorted Max out and the door slid shut, Renfro sat back in her chair and sighed. She then pressed a button on her panel; a man in a white lab coat walked in. "So? What will her outcome be?"

  
The doctor sat in a vacant chair; "Well there are two predicted reactions to the X5's situation. First is an extremely violent reaction, the subject would exhibit violent and physically harmful tendencies. They wound lash out at others and place themselves in a situation for harm and risk to come to them. If this reaction proves to be this X5's reaction, then there maybe no other choice but to terminate the X5."

"Hmm. I don't want that to be the case. I want that X5 to survive; I have already lost two other X5's to her. And the other reaction?"  
"A calmer semi-violent reaction-"

"So both are violent?"

"Yes, but that is to be expected. X5-332 clearly had emotional ties to the outside world. She probably built up a 'family' of sorts around her; she may have even gone as far as a romantic relationship. If this is the case then the X5 will be violent because of the sudden loss. But this, will in turn help, because of the emotional dependent state the X5 will 'need' something to depend on. Which is where Manticore will come in. She will at first oppose Manticore and then she will come to accept it as the stable portion of her life. She would then be a great asset to Manticore."

"Well, let's hope that this is the case, for your sake. What do you think that the out come will be?" Renfro asked.

"Given her reaction just now, I would say that the X5 will follow the second path."

"Good. That pleases me very much."

~~~

Max was silent as the guard snapped the restraints back over her wrists and ankles. The guard then re-hooked the heart monitor and the IV; stepping back he sighed. Max looked up and focused on his face, he was clearly not much older than she was, possibly in his thirties. He had dirty blond hair that reminded her of Zack but his eyes were a warm brown to Zack's cool blue ones. If Max wasn't mistaken she thought that she saw kindness in his eyes, but before she could be sure he looked away. "You should be careful. They may decide that you are not worth keeping, and kill you," he said in a low, quiet voice.

Max looked at him startled. Last time she was here the guards and personal were to have no conversation with the prototypes. "Aren't you risking death by talking to me?"

The guard grinned wolfishly, "So I'll end up dead a little sooner, not like it matters. What does it matter to you. What concerned for my safety?" Max saw a mischievous gleam in his eye. Though there were physical similarities to Zack, this guard was reckless where Zack had an obsession for precautions. "Though I would think that would not care, about anything. Especially for your life."

"Why do you say that?" Max asked curious as to way he cared so little for his own safety.

"Well, first is the fact that you lost your life. And then there is the fact that you would rather be dead than here." It was startling to hear a stranger speak so accurately about her and know her. "That and you carrying your brother's heart. That has to cause some mental anguish." Max clearly didn't know what to say to this person, and he knew it. "Do not worry I am not a Manticore plant."

"Why risk talking to me then?"

The guard sat on a stool, "Because I have never fully agreed with Manticore. And I do not wish to see you die, is that so hard to believe?"

"This isn't the Manticore I remember."

"A lot changed after your team escaped, mostly downhill."

"What do you mean?" Max asked truly curious.

"Your team was the elite. The cream of the crop, you were the best that Manticore had to offer, despite your defects." He explained.

"Oh."

"You guys showed great promise because your flaws could be fixed mostly with simple gene splicing. The one variable that the Committee and Lydecker did not could on was your guys loyalty to each other first. They thought that because they had created you, you would be unconditionally loyal to Manticore," a small smile passed across the guard face. "You would think that they would have learned after the first time."

"Why haven't they stopped you from talking to me yet?"

"Well, mostly because I am fairly important here, but you have nothing to fear from me. Trust me, I am a friend," the guard offered a small, but warm smile. He stood and turned to go he paused. "I hope that you will come to trust me Max. You should, mostly because you will be seeing a lot of me in the future."

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So tell me what you guys think. I know that it is really short but if I get reviews I definitely will post more. Sorry if some of the paragraphs are 'funny' but word and everything was being a bother. This is just the first of many parts to a story which will probably develop in to a series. Criticism welcome. Ciao.


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